Ducks Acquire Whitney from Pittsburgh

Whitney, 26 (2/19/83), appeared in 28 games for Pittsburgh this season, scoring 2-11=13 points with 16 penalty minutes (PIM). Whitney led the Penguins with an average ice time of 24:34 minutes per game and power-play time, averaging 5:39 minutes per contest. The 6-4, 215-pound blue-liner missed the first 33 games of the season with a foot injury before making his 2008-09 debut on Dec. 23 vs. Tampa Bay.

Selected by Pittsburgh in the first round (fifth overall) of the 2002 NHL Entry Draft, Whitney has played four NHL seasons with the Penguins since making his debut in 2005-06. In 253 career games, Whitney has collected 34-116=150 points and 223 PIM with Pittsburgh, averaging 22 minutes-or-more of ice time in each of his four seasons. He ranked sixth in scoring among NHL defensemen in 2006-07 while also setting career highs in goals (14), assists (45), points (59), power play goals (9) and appearances (81). In 2007-08, Whitney ranked second on the Penguins in time on ice (22:28) and fourth in blocked shots (114) before helping lead the club to a Stanley Cup Final appearance against Detroit.

A native of Boston, MA, Whitney played for the United States in the World Junior Championships in 2002 and 2003, scoring 1-4=5 points in seven games in 2003. Whitney also played three seasons at Boston University from 2001-04, leading the team as a junior with 9-16=25 points in 2003-04. Kunitz, 29 (9/26/79), appeared in all of Anaheim’s 62 contests this season, scoring 16-19=35 points with 55 PIM and a +9 rating. The Regina, Saskatchewan native led the club in hits in each of the last two seasons. In 315 career NHL contests, Kunitz has collected 81-111=192 points with 299 PIM and a +57 rating. He appeared in his 300th NHL game on Jan. 17 at Minnesota.

A member of the Anaheim’s 2007 Stanley Cup championship team, Kunitz has appeared in 35 career postseason contests (all with Anaheim), earning 4-12=16 points with 35 PIM. The 6-0, 193-pound winger was originally signed by Anaheim as a free agent on Apr. 1, 2003 after playing four years of college hockey with Ferris State of the Central Collegiate Hockey Association (CCHA). He was named the CCHA Player of the Year and a Hobey Baker Award finalist for the 2002-03 season.

Tangradi, 20 (2/10/89), appeared in 52 contests with Belleville of the Ontario Hockey League (OHL) this season, collecting 38-49=87 points with 57 PIM. Playing in his third season with the club and first as team captain, the 6-3, 220-pound winger ranked second among league leaders in scoring, fourth in goals and seventh in assists. Tangradi, a 2009 OHL Eastern Conference All-Star, also represented the United States at the 2009 World Junior Championship in Ottawa, scoring 1-2=3 points in six games.

Selected by Anaheim in the second round (42nd overall) of the 2007 NHL Entry Draft, the Philadelphia, PA native has collected 67-100=167 points in 173 career OHL games. In 2007-08, Tangradi helped lead the Bulls to the OHL Championship Series, collecting 7-11=18 points in 20 contests prior to an appearance at the 2008 Memorial Cup.